Love is a Kind of War
by Slayzer
Summary: The tetramand princess Looma wants her engagement to Ben Tennyson to go smoothly. So she stops by to visit her beloved Ben and tries to learn some human ways. Ben's going to have to get use to the Tetramand warrior woman following him around, which may not be as bad as he first thought. Ben/Looma.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Ben 10 Omniverse nor do I make any money off this work.

I thought Ben 10 was a great show, the ones that came later not so much but with Omnivers it's getting good again. The episode "Many Happy Returns" is my favorite so far. I just thought Looma was awesome and in need of a little Fanfic love so here we go a little one shot for you all.

Love is a Kind of War.

By Slayzer

For once Ben Tennyson had the day off.

No school, no saving the world, just down time. So like a normal sixteen year old he was sleeping in this morning and nothing short of an invasion was getting him out of bed before he was ready.

"Benjamin, Get down here right now!"

Okay an invasion or his mother yelling at him form downstairs. Ben reluctantly pulled himself out of bed and got dressed.

Walking down the stairway Ben racked his mind for what he was in trouble for this time. It could be any number of things depending on what they could pin on him and his alien forms.

"Geez mom, What did I do..." Ben stopped when he noticed three things by the front door.

Firstly was his mother Sandra looking more pissed then Ben had ever remembered seeing her.

Secondly was the dead body of some large beastly looking alien.

Thirdly was the tetramand warrior woman kneeling respectfully in the doorway. The tetramand looked up to see Ben and smiled happily. "Beloved!"

It was Looma Red Wind the tetramand princess that had become Ben's fiance thanks to Kevin's manipulations.

"Looma, but I thought we had three more years to go till the wedding!? I'm still not ready for this!"

Sandra glared at her son. "Benjamin Tennyson what on earth is going on here? This woman barges in with a dead... ...thing and tells me that she's your wife!"

Looma bowed to Sandra. "No I'm not his wife yet but in three years time we will be married. Also it is customary on Khoros to bring a suitable gift when visiting unannounced. I thought the fresh kill of a great beast big enough to feed the Tennyson household would be suitable."

"It is not!" Sandra yelled and much to Ben's surprise Looma recoiled sadly at the chastisement.

"Come on mom, Looma didn't mean anything bad by it. We have to try to understand and respect the different cultures of other life forms."

Sandra pointed to the dead beast. "Respect ends with a big bloodily corpse rotting in my living room."

Looma realized the faux pas of her gift. Humans must not like huge hulking slabs of raw meat, no wonder they were so small. "I'll get ride of it right away!"

Looma quickly rose to her feet but she busted the door frame and surrounding wall as she got up. Human homes were just not compatible in size or constriction for a tetramand. Looma smiled nervously as plaster and building debris rained down around her.

Ben brushed past his mom and took one of Looma's four hands. "Why don't we go outside to talk and leave mom alone for awhile."

Sandra just stood still looking like an angry statue as her son and his fiance left.

Once safely outside and away from Ben's mom Looma sighed with relief. Her lower arms rested on her hips while her topmost right hand clutched her chest. "I don't think I even that nervous during my first battle. Meeting the in-laws is truly a test of courage. Stranger still was that she seemed unaware of our engagement."

"Yeah I haven't really found the right way to tell... Hey hold on a moment. What are you doing here Looma? It hasn't been three years yet."

"True, we tetramand use the three years of the engagement ritual to prepare ourselves for the life long battle that is marriage. To that end I was reading up on human customs. I learned that humans look at the engagement as 'trial faze' of a marriage. So breaking with my own traditions I thought we should spend some more time getting to know each other."

"So how's that going to work?" Ben asked unsure of this whole thing.

"Well I thought you'd just do what you normally do but I'll be doing it with you."

Great, Ben's one day off in like forever and he has to drag around a space amazon.

"Well I'd like to go back to bed."

Looma gasped her face turned a wonderful shade of violet. "It's still too soon for that Benjamin. We have not even been properly married but still your so bold to ask that of me like that."

"NO, no! I didn't mean like that. Just going to bed to sleep."

"Sleep but it's midday? Surely earth's greatest hero isn't a layabout?"

"Okay then let's... ..." Ben stopped to think about things he could do with an nine foot, four armed, red skinned woman in tow. Clearly staying home was out of the question so where else could Ben go on a day off? Mr Smoothie had open air seating so Looma would fit there and Ben was getting hungry not that he was awake. "... Then let's go get something to eat."

Ben moved to get into his car when again he thought about his passenger. The car was way too small for Looma.

"We could take my transport." Looma touched a control on her vambrace and her space ship decloaked.

'Might be a little much for a trip to Mr Smoothie.' Ben thought to himself.

"Let's just walk." Ben said as Looma cloaked her ship again.

While aliens had become more common around Bellwood the sight of Ben walking with Looma did turn more then a few heads. Ben being somewhat of a glory hound didn't think twice about it. Looma on the other hand found the extra attention upsetting.

"What is it with all these earthlings gawking at us?"

"Maybe if you didn't dressed like some kind of space warrior princess."

Looma smiled at Ben. "But Benjamin my beloved, I am a space warrior princess."

Ben reached for the Omnitrix. "I could turn into Four Arms and then we'd make more of an even looking couple."

"No!" Looma used both sets of her hands to stop Ben from activating the Omnitrix. Her outburst caught Ben by surprise.

"Why, wouldn't you like me better if I was more like you?"

Looma's face turned that violet color that Ben now knew to be a tetramand blush. "I like you best like this Benjamin."

Looma let go of Ben with all but one of her hands. Ben might be dense at this kind of thing but he took the hint. Ben held Looma's hand as they walked along. He also couldn't help but notice the long from use of his name. "Looma would you mind not calling me Benjamin. You can just call me Ben like everyone else in the universe."

"True, but I want to be different then everyone else in the universe. This visit is about us getting to know one another and calling you Benjamin makes me feel closer to you."

"Okay, I guess I can let you to call me Benjamin."

Looma looked so happy that Ben couldn't help but think she was kind of cute and girlish just then.

Walking down the road hand in hand with what felt like the whole town watching them Looma asked Ben a question. "This feels weird doesn't it?"

"Yes it dose." Ben answered honestly.

"Dose it feel …. unpleasant?" Looma asked hesitantly not sure what the answer would be.

"Not really." Ben said and looked away trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.

Looma pulled Ben closer with her lower arms and playfully ruffled his hair with her upper ones. Looma was sure that Benjamin Tennyson was the only love for her and over the next week she'd make him realize the same about her.

-end-

Well that's that just a little something a banged out one night while I had the inspiration to do so. Looma is despite her size is a teenager like Ben and you saw that when she switch from warrior princess to daddy's girl. So I think when Looma's not crushing the bones of her enemies underfoot she could be girlish and kind of adorable in the right settings.

I know it was short but be kind and tell me what you thought.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own any part of Ben 10 Omniverse. I also do not make any money off this. (Fanficion is free literature and sometimes you get what you pay for.)

Thanks to the quick and mostly positive reviews I thought I'd kick this one around a little longer.

There's even a Princess Looma tag so I can mark it officially as Ben/Looma for everyone to find. Also I don't believe this is a crack pairing at all, at lest it wont be as long as Looma doesn't sufferer the same fate as Kai Green or Julie. Never seen again after her one episode or never referenced. I don't even know how to address the Julie issue until the show makes mention of her.

But Ester will be in the next chapter, I think.

Rook as well, I hope.

Love is a Kind of War

By Slayzer

Ben and Looma were sharing a meal at Mr Smoothy. Well it look a little odd with Ben siting at a picnic table and Looma sitting on next table over. It was becoming abundantly clear that nothing built by humans could accommodate a tetramand. Other then the small seating issue everything was going well.

After all Ben loved chili fries but seeing the nasty things his grandpa makes he couldn't understand why so many of his alien friends thought they were disgusting. So he was somewhat suppressed that Looma seemed to enjoying them in tetramand sized helpings.

"Good?" Ben asked as Looma finished would be a full serving for him in a few bites.

"Very, it's strange but we have something similar on Khoros. It's a dish made with a thinly cut vegetable that's been fried and then topped with a meat stew."

"I knew there was more to alien food then tentacles. I'll have to try it if I'm ever out to Khoros." Ben said took a slurp of his smoothy.

"You should visit. Daddy would be thrilled and... ..." Looma started to traces random shapes on the tabletop with two of her free hands. "... I'd like to see more of you as well."

For such a strong warrior Looma was acting very timid. Ben didn't get why after all they were just getting some fast food.

Then it hit him.

Ben was just getting fast food but to Looma this was her first date with him. In fact knowing how Kevin had used Looma and then disappeared this was most likely her first date ever. Mr Smoothy was fine for Ben but it wasn't going to make this day special for the tetramand princess.

"So Looma you've been studying up on earth have you?"

"I have. I find parts of it so bizarre and exciting at the same time."

Ben gave Looma that carefree boy's smile he was known for. "Exciting huh. Then what place on earth did you want to see now that your here? We can go there if you want."

"Really!?" Looma was so excited that she smashed the table without meaning to. It was cool though, the guys at Mr Smoothy knew property damage and Ben Tennyson go hand in hand.

"Yes."

"Then I would like to see, oh what is it call... …. the beach."

Ben put his hands behind his head as his smile turned into a smirk. "I think we can do that."

-Bellwood Lake-

Bellwood lake may not have been the greatest sand beach on earth but it took Looma's breath away. All four of her golden eyes were wide with amazement. "Ben look at it! It's like a whole mountain of water just sitting out there and it's all blue and shimmery."

Ben had to laugh while some of the human beach goers gave Looma and odd look. There were some nonhuman beach goers too from more aquatic words looking for a swim. Ben could even see a few piscciss volanns (Ripjaws) splashing about.

"Is lake Bellwood really all that impressive?"

"We don't have any free standing bodies of water on Khoros. We just get a rainy season where everything turns to mud before it drys."

Looma dipped her toes into the water and laughed as the waves tickled her feet. Ben thought it was cute how pure and childish she could be at times.

"Well then I'm going to quick changed into some swimming trunks and be right back." Ben said before heading off the a locker room.

Looma looked at her own metal and fur armor and knew this was not appropriate for the beach. Luckily she had come prepared and had a suitable earth appropriate swimwear made. The hard part would be finding someplace to change.

Ten minutes later Ben came back from the locker room. He was now dressed in green swim trunks with the number ten printed on the right leg. Looking around he saw Looma's ship taking up a several spaces in the parking lot. Ben walked over to the ship and tapped on the red opaque glass.

"Looma you in there?"

"Hold on beloved. I'm changing some earthling style swimwear."

"Earth style swimwear?" Ben wasn't sure what that meant or how it would look on a tetramand.

"Yes, I found some designs when I was reading an earth athletic periodical." The cockpit opened and Looma stepped out dressed only in a gold colored bikini. Also without her winged helmet she had let her long black hair down. "I don't know what sport it was but the whole magazine was full of human woman laying around on a beach in clothing like this or less."

Sometimes with the extra arms and red skin Ben could forget that Looma was built like a brick house. Her body still curved in all the right ways a woman should and Ben was a red blood human male so he couldn't help but notice. Looma however didn't seem to think about how her swimwear would effect Ben.

"It took me a while to get the straps to loop under my lower arms. When I tried to tie the top part underneath my upper arms it didn't cover me properly. What do you think Benjamin dose this look right?" Looms asked pushing her chest out for Ben to inspected.

"IT'S FINE! PERFECT! LET'S GO SWIMMING!" Ben said quickly running to the water and while trying to control himself.

Looma smiled and thought. 'I didn't believe it at first but I guess it's true. Human males find breast pleasing.'

To a tetramand the most erotic parts of the female body were the biceps and shoulders. Oddly enough while Looma didn't have the best figure by tetramand standards she did have the hourglass like frame that humans seemed to favor. Looma smiled as she now knew of the powerful advantage her breast gave her. Like the old tetramand saying goes, never underestimate an effective weapon.

Looma went to join Ben in the water. Not knowing how to swim Looma had to wade into the water. Still what was wading waist deep for Looma was deep enough to tread water for Ben. Looma thought it was a wonderful. The water splashing around her and feeling the waves caressing her body though her bikini.

That was when Ben playfully splashed some water in her face. He should have known better given that Looma has more arms and super human strength. Looma sent a small tsunami washing over Ben in retaliation. Ben was a better swimmer and dove underwater. He quickly swim around Looma before rising up and splashing her again. It wasn't long until they were both laughing as water went flying everywhere.

Ben dove underwater and swam behind Looma. He then jumped up on her back. "We have a saying on earth, the bigger they are..." Ben leaned back and provide just enough weight to pull Looma off balances. "... the bigger the splash!"

Looma fell backwards into the water making a huge splash. "I can't swim!" she said with her four massive arms splashing about.

Ben came up next to Looma and grabbed her shoulders. " Just lean back and stretch out your legs and you'll be fine."

Looma didn't understand the logic of it but she trusted Ben and did as he said. As she did that her body displaced enough water for her to float. Ben stayed on her back with his arms warped around her neck. This was the first time Ben had felt Looma so vividly. Her skin was like new leather both firm and smooth without a single crease. Also without her helmet he could get a good look at her face, her beautifully angled cheeks, long dark hair and dark black lips.

Ben felt a strong urge to kiss Looma just then.

"Beloved what's wrong?"

Ben smiled that cat like smile of his. "Nothing, I'm going back to shore to dry off."

Ben swim away leaving Looma to float off on her own. "Benjamin wait, how do I get back? I can't swim!"

"Then try walking." Ben said laughing.

That was when Looma remembered that the water only came up to her chest, so she stood up. Of course everyone on the beach and seen her overreaction and it made for quite the show. Looma slapped her face with both sets of hands hoping she could hide the blush on her cheeks with a little bruise. She told herself it was embarrassment that made her face glow but much of was in how Ben was holding her and how he looked at her.

'You know why I always win? Because I never give up!' Tetramand poets had struggled for centuries trying to convey that something that Ben had just by being himself. For a people blessed with monstrous physical power it was the power of ones will that was truly impressive. Many tetramand girls had dreamed about someone like Ben, someone who's moral fortitude and unbreakable will could move unfeeling mountains. It didn't hurt that Looma found Ben very attractive with his free spited smile and laughter.

Looma also thought that Ben's soft human body with his peach skin and brown hair was kind of sexy. 'oh that things I could do with him.' Looma thought ashamedly to herself.

It seemed that in the battle of love, seduction was a neutral power effecting both parties at will. It could be so very easy for Looma to give in those powers but she would fight it. After all she was a tetramand and for them fighting makes everything better.

Little did our two heroes know that they were being watched. From the beach's parking lot three men stood around a pickup truck. All three of them wore deep burgundy red shirts with black coats and pants. One of them glaring hatefully from a pair of binoculars. "That's him alright, the one who turned our world into a freak show."

"You sure about this James, shouldn't we wait for orders."

James sighed and put down the binoculars. "Do I have to explain the whole 'decentralized terrorist cell' rationale to you again? We don't take orders, we take initiative."

"Yeah but Tennyson's got that watch."

"That takes him at best a full two second to activate and until then he's just as human as you or me. This will only take me half a second." James said showing a pistol he had hidden in his coat.

"What about that four armed she-devil with him?"

The third man of the crew jumped on the truck's flatbed and tapped a large case. "This thing has enough power to scrap a tank."

James smirk as he walked off toward the beach. "Then you two attack when I give the signal."

The unsure guy got behind the wheel while the other man opened the case in the back of the truck. The driver's knuckles were white on the steering wheel and he hadn't even started the engine. "Did James tell us what the signal would be?"

"Of course he did. The signal will be when he shoots Ben Tennyson in the head."

The driver took a deep breath as a sickening feeling washed over him. It was the feeling of knowing you've gone in too deep and all you can do now is sink to the bottom. Fighting down his nausea he turned the key and the engine roared to life.

Back at the beach Ben and Looma had decided to dry off with some sunbathing. Looma was using all four of her hands to rub sunblock over Ben's body.

"Easy up, I can do this myself." Ben protested but the laughter in his voice and the smile on his face betrayed him.

"I'm sure your capable of doing it yourself but..." Looma leaned in closer so she could whisper the next part to Ben. "….Then I wouldn't be able to touch you like this." Looma's touch became much firmer. It felt like all four hands powerful hands were giving Ben a full body massage.

That was when a shadow fell over Ben as some clearly not dressed for the beach stood over him. James gave Ben and Looma a pure hateful look disgust. "God damn, I know they legalized sodomy for all the queers but I thought bestiality was still illegal."

Looma let go of Ben and made a fist in preparation to pound James into the sand. Ben however put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't bother, he's not worth it."

James put up his arms and backed away slowly from Ben. "You know looking at this sicking excuse of a freak love in I can't help but wonder how it works with you two. My guess would be with a stepladder and a flashlight."

Ben got to his feet and took a step towards James. 'That's right kid, take the bait.' James thought as he felt the wight of the gun in his coat almost like it was screaming at him.

"Mind what you say." Ben flicked on his omnitrix.

"What's this, Earth's so called greatest hero can't win a fight man to man?"

Ben moved his hand away from the omnitrix and that was when James made his move. Reaching into his coat he moved to whipped out his gun. He would have too if halfway through the movement Ben didn't grab his wrist and hit him with a right cross. James had bet that when Ben was threatened he'd waste time going to the omnitrix but then again he didn't know Ben Tennyson.

Ben's first thought was to stop the gun. It discharged a bullet into the sand as they fought for it. Ben had surprise and skill but James was stronger and had better leverage. Ben was also fighting to keep the gun pointed down at the ground and away from any bystanders.

The gunfire had sent near by beach goers running in every direction. Looma got up to help her fiance but that was when a pickup truck jumped the sidewalk and came racing down into the beach. A guy riding in the back had what looked like a stovepipe with a scope and trigger.

"Looma stop the truck." Ben said as he slugged James and the gun shoot two more rounds into the sand.

It was hard for Looma to turn her back on Ben in battle but he was right. The truck was the bigger danger to the innocent bystanders. Looma cracked all four sets of knuckles as the truck came at her. "Come on then, you ambushing cowards!"

A guided rocket shot form the back of the truck and hit Looma dead on before exploding.

"LOOMA!" Ben yelled making the mistake of taking his eyes off James.

The gun fired again. This time not hitting sand.

"Worry about yourself a little more and your four armed freak a little less."

Ben lunged froward again and headbutted James square in the face. The man fell backward with Ben on top of him pounding away with a blur of fist. All the while blood poured from a tunnel in Ben's right leg.

The explosion from missile kicked up a cloud of sand and black smoke. The pickup was heading right for it hoping to run down whatever was left of Looma.

Suddenly four red hands shot out from the smoke cloud as the pickup drew near. The lower two hands crushed the hood and engine like an empty pop can. That impact sent the two humans catapulting out of the truck only to be snatched up by the other set of hands.

When the dust clear Looma stood undamaged with only soot on her red skin to show for the blast. "Chemical based explosives and propellents. How quaint and ineffective."

Looma then bashed to two would be assassins together before spiking them into the sand like footballs.

With that trivial matter concluded she turned to see that Ben had subdued his own assailant and the police were arriving at the scene. As she got closer Looma saw a red river running down Ben's leg. It took her a moment to remember that human's had red blood.

"Benjamin, your hurt!"

Already blood loss had taken the color from his skin. "Funny this is the first time someone came at me with a gun. Normally it's lasers or plasma canons or... …." Ben nodded off a little and had to fight to keep his eyes open.

Looma turned to the man who had done this to her beloved. James was barely awake after the beating Ben gave him. Looma easily picked James up by his neck and held him ten feet off the ground. "You ungrateful scum! That boy has save you and this whole world many times and this is how you repay him!?"

Even with Looma ready to snap his neck like a dry twig James gave her a cocky smile. "I never asked him. I also didn't ask for you alien filth to live on our world."

A crowd welding cellphone cameras had gather around them as the police had to push their way closer. James laughed as everyone came waiting to see a live execution. "Come on show them all who the monster here is! Show the world that when things don't go your way that you aliens will act like the monsters you are! Come on, kill me and prove me right!"

Ben struggled to say something, anything to get Looma to calm down.

Every thought and instinct Looma had was telling her to kill him. Yet under all her rage she knew that Ben wouldn't want that. Looma sighed and then tossed James to the on coming police. "Benjamin was right. You aren't worth it."

Looma then turned her attention to what was really important, Ben.

Looma put on of her hand on Ben's wound and pressed down hard enough to stop his bleeding. She picked up her beloved and cradled him in her arms. Looma then turned to the police. "Where is the nearest human medical center?"

One of the police looked up as he finished handcuffing James. "It's about five miles east of here but don't worry an ambulance is on it's way. So the best thing you can do is just..." Looma didn't wait for the officer to finish. She took one long super powered jump that cleared the parking lot. "... take him there yourself." The cop said to the space Looma had previously been.

Looma was moving so fast she thought she could out run a Kineceleran. She did have to knock several parked cars overs as she smashed through them but that didn't matter right now. Ben manged to give Looma a weak smile. "You were great back there." Then he lapsed out of consciousness again.

Ben Tennyson would be fine. Looma would get him to the hospital quicker then the ambulance would have. The doctors would patch his wound and transfuse him with new blood. But that was later and right now with Ben Tennyson bleeding in her arms Looma had never been more afraid.

For the first time in her life Looma Red Wind felt helpless and weak.

-later that night-

In an abandoned warehouse a few hundred men and woman stood around waiting. All of them wore red burgundy shirts and black hoods to hide their faces from one another. No one spoke or even chatted. They just waited in cold silence as a man dressed like them stood on a crate to address the crowd.

"Brothers and sisters we have been invaded."

The crowd muttered to themselves and the speaker begin again with more passion. "I said, brothers and sisters we have been invaded!"

This time the crowd reacted with an almost beast like cry of protest. "It was not an invasion of armies or of force but the same kind cancer that has undermined all great societies. It is the invasion of the teeming masses, taking by charity what they could not win by war. Our mother earth is the only home to the seven billion humans that she raised and there is no room for the alien. We must wake our people up to the fact that every breath of air an alien takes on earth is an act of theft from our grandchildren and an insult to our forefathers."

The gathered crowd roared with xenophobic hate. The man speaking waited for the blood lust to die down a little. "We the members of the Human Liberation Front will never rest until we have driven the invaders from our homeland. We will use any means necessary to do it. We will show no mercy to the alien and those who act in support of their occupation. Because if we do not act then our children will be born into a conquered world!"

The man speaking brandished a detonator and flipped the switch.

Nothing happened at first but then from deep under ground they felt the earth rumble and shake. Far below them a dozen of crude but effective bombs had gone off in Undertown.

"The war for our liberation has begun!"

-end-

I think the best backdrop for love is to contrast it with intolerance and hate. I do think given that some humans can barely tolerate the existence of other humans, for people like them I think living with extraterrestrials would be out of the question. If you look at the whole of human history you kind of get the idea that we're not good people.

Anyway as I wrote this I'm fighting a cold in my snow covered apartment. That has nothing to do with while I had Ben and Looma spending a day in a warm sunny beach.

As for why Looma was in a bikini? I just thought why not really go for that T rating and have those some of those heavy petting and almost sex scenes that makes the best PG-13 movies.

Please tell me what you all thought. Did you like it or have I gone too far off track?


	3. Chapter 3

Ben Ten is owned by Man of Action and I make not money off the use of their characters.

I had a little more free time this week to bang out this newest chapter. I'm also thankful that everyone seemed to responded well to the action subplot I want to add.

It's not just that there bad guys but their racist and hate speech sounds ugly even if it's about nonexistence aliens. In fact if you replaced 'Alien' in the rant last chapter with an adjective for any color or creed of people and that's how racist people talk in my country and that's depressing.

Love is a Kind of War

By Slayzer

Rook Blonko walked into the lobby of Bellwood hospital. He noted the large hole in the wall as if a truck had ran through it, strange there where no tire tracks. Rook made his way to the nurse's station. "Excuse me?"

The nurse on duty looked up from her magazine and looked at Rook blankly over the rims of her glasses. "We can only treat humans here. If you need help..."

"Thank you but no I am not the one in need of medical attention. I am looking for a human who was admitted here last afternoon, his name is Benjamin Tennyson."

"What's your relationship to this person?"

"Our relationship? Ben is my partner."

The nurse's glasses feel right off her surprised face. She quickly recovered remembering that she should not judge people for their lifestyle. "I'm terribly sorry but even you two were humans in a civil union, I mean there just no precedent for this kind of thing."

Rook pulled out his plumbers badge. "I think your misunderstanding me. I am a plumber and Ben is my partner on the force. The reason for my visit is to start the investigation into his assault."

"Oh, he is your partner like as in a cop not like... …." the nurse fixed her glasses tried to move past her prejudgment.

"Yes, Ben is my partner in a law enforcement capacity and not some kind of under aged cross species homosexual relationship like you mistakenly believed." Rook being somewhat oblivious at the best of times didn't even bother to lower his voice and the whole lobby heard him.

The nurse wished that she could just disappear right now with the whole room glareing at her but Rook took no notice of her discomfort. "May I go see my partner now?"

"Yes, it's just down the hall..."

Rook raised a hand to stop her. He could clearly see the large tetramand sized holes in the walls. "I believe I can find the room on my own."

-Woman's Bathroom-

Looma played with the fitting of her armor again and again. She just couldn't get it to feel right. Getting frustrated she threw her helmet at the mirror, shattering her reflection. Of all the things she destroyed in this flimsily human building a mirror was the lest expensive thing on that list.

Hanging her head Looma knew that there was nothing wrong with her armor. It was herself that didn't fit right.

That short fight at the beach, not even a warm up for her but it went so wrong. She fought well and Ben fought well and the villeins were brought to justice. Yet the fact that Ben was hurt and that she was so helpless to help him made their victory taste like ash. The tetramands believe that bond of love is straightened by giving oneself to the union but in that giving it diminishes oneself.

Looma didn't know what that meant until now. She knew that love was a powerful thing. So much so that it could weaken her. If she did not feel so strongly for Ben then she would not feel so horrible right now.

Then there was the other side of this. Would Ben feel this same way if she was the one who got hurt?

Looma was no fool and knew that this engagement wasn't something Ben planed on. In fact Looma wouldn't put it past Kevin to have duped Ben into challenging her for her hand so he could weasel out of there engagement .

This love Looma had for Ben was really one sided and yet even knowing that it still overwhelmed her. It just wasn't fair that she could feel so helpless and weak like this and it wasn't even her fault.

Sighing heavily Looma picked her helmet up from the pile of mirror shards. No one told her love would feel like this.

That love would make her feel like nothing fit right anymore.

-Ben's Room-

Rook knocked softly on the sliding door before entering. Ben was laying in bed as tubs and wires ran this way and that from him to an iv machine.

Ben was both awake and bored out of his mind. Ben's normally overactive energy didn't mix well with the recovery.

"How are you feeling?"

"I got shot Rook how do you think I feel?"

Rook stopped and really seemed to think about it. "Not good." Rook was never sure when Ben was asking a question or making a sarcastic human joke.

Ben didn't even have the energy to groan. "I heard there were other attacks. What's it like out there?"

Rook pulled up a chair as sat down next to Ben's bed. "Nothing we can't handle. Magister Tennyson has assigned me to guard you while you recover."

"You can't be serious?!"

"When am I not?"

"I'm fine! Besides you can't leave your All Star player in the dugout."

Rook put a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder. "Ben, you were almost taken out of the game permanently."

Ben sighed and then smiled. "Hey you got that baseball references and played it back to me."

"I have been studying."

That was when Looma Red Wind busted the sliding door off it's rail entering the room. So far no one in the hospital had brought the issue of property damage up to the tetramand. Rook instinctively reached for his Proto-Tool but Ben stopped him.

"It's alright Rook. You remember Looma don't you?"

"Yes I do, at night I can still feel the bruises." Rook said as his eyes narrowed.

"Your presence will not be necessary, Revonnahgander. I shall guard Benjamin while he recovers."

"I am sorry but this is a Plumber's only affair."

Looma was about to say something when a fist started tapping on the window. A window that was on the third floor. A moment later the window was opened and a girl in a purple parka pulled herself into Ben's room. The girl took off the dark purple shades she was wearing and smiled at Ben.

"Ester!" Ben said from his bed.

The half Kraaho girl then wrapped her arms around Ben and seemed to ignore Rook and Looma all together. "I was so worried when I heard that you got shoot. I feared the worst after all the things in Undertown gotten really bad."

Looma who was somewhat lethargic came to life seeing a strange girl hugging her fiance. "Who in blazing red sun of Khoros are you!?"

Ester let go of Ben and took note of Rook and Looma. "I'm one of Ben's friends. Now I know Rook but who are you and why are you hanging around Ben?"

"I'm Benjamin's fiance!" Looma said proudly.

"WHAT?!" the answer stunned Ester at first but she quickly calmed down. A small smirk appeared on her face. "I see what happened, obvious really. Ben kicked your four-armed-butt and now he's stuck with you. He must not have known about tetramand marriage practices when you two fought."

"That's not what happened at all!" Looma yelled getting in Ester's face.

Rook drew his Proto-Tool. "I must insist that you both cease this arguing immediately."

Ben had enough of this. He was not going to let his three friends come to blows over nothing. "That's it, all of you calm down!"

Ben pulled himself out of the hospital bed with the iv drip still in his arm. He then got his Plumbers badge form the nightstand. "Now listen up, all of you. This comes first in my life." Ben said waving his badge around. "This and the responsibly with it comes before everything else, before my friends and loved ones. Even before my own safely and life."

Ben ripped the iv tubes out of his arm. "Now then I am not hiding under guard while some lunatics blow up everything I fought to protect and hurt the people I love. So I'm going out there to do what I do best. So if your with me then you need to be with me and none of this fighting amongst ourselves."

Ben felt like his words had done the trick. Everyone in the room was silent as stone. Yet strangely Looma and Ester seemed to be blushing and looking away from him.

Rook cleared his throat. "You may want to fasten your hospital gown first."

Ben made a quick grab for the bed sheets to cover himself with. "Would you all pardon me while I dress."

-half hour later-

Rook, Looma and Ester were all waiting outside the hospital next to Rook's truck. Ben soon came limping out of a side door, now dressed with his white and green hoodie on over his normal clothes.

Rook didn't seem convinced that this was a good idea. "Are you sure about this Ben? Magister Tennyson said for your to rest."

"That's just grampa being a grampa and not a plumber but he'll come around after we finish this."

Rook smirked. "Then I guess your being 'Cheeky' with him."

Ben groaned as Looma and Ester blushed.

Rook kept going. "I'm sure Magister Tennyson can 'Bare' the bad news."

Rook was on a roll and he wasn't stopping as he got in the truck. "We could even say Ben made an A..."

"Okay, Rook I get it you can stop now! It's bad enough I got people trying to kill me without your puns."

Rook was surprised that his jokes weren't helping Ben recover. "Isn't this good natured human ribbing making you feel better?"

Ben climbed into the passenger seat. "No, your embarrassing me in front of the girls."

"I see..." Rook checked his rear-view mirror as Ester and Looma got in the back and. "... I am your 'Wingman' but I was rooster blocking you."

"Rook, it's not called rooster block. It's called coc... Ahem..." Ben stopped himself. "... where did you even learn that?"

"From human television, why?" Rook said as he converted his truck into a space ship and blasted off into the sky.

"TV's been a bad influence on you Rook."

Ester interrupted the guys as she leaned in from the back. "Any ideas about who's behind this Human Liberation Front nonsense."

"Several plumber teams are already looking into the activities of the Forever Knights." Rook answered.

Ben shook his head. "I don't know, that didn't feel like the Forever Knights. Guns and bombs aren't their calling cards. Besides they believe their knights with chivalry and terrorism isn't very chivalrous. I'm thinking we should head for Washington DC."

"What's in Washington DC?" Looma asked from in the back.

"That is where the Harangue Nation broadcast from with it's host Will Harangue. I'm betting that two toned bad haircut knows something about a group of alien hating humans."

-end-

Rook kind of stole a lot of the air in this chapter didn't he? Well I'm still trying to find his voice.

To me Rook is blunt like the flat end of a hammer. Serious to a fault but caring as well. He's not so much naive or trusting but he doesn't get sarcasm or nuanced behavior. The first guy you want in a fight and the last guy you want as your wingman on a date. At parties he'd be a total "Rooster" Blocker.

Ben will have to put himself between Looma and Ester's jealousy but the girls aren't going to getting along anytime soon.

I didn't really get to showcase Ester much here did I? Well she's a very free spirit and unencumbered girl. So I think she's good counterweight to Looma who's more disciplined and focused.

Please review and tell me what you thought.

P.S

Also I can't be the only one here making a story with Ben/Looma or Ben/Ester in it can I? It's one thing to be first but I'm getting kind of lonely out here in the wilds.


End file.
